The Senior Leader Apprenticeship is ideally suited for middle and senior level leaders and managers who:
Are motivated to apply new skills and behaviours to increase their organisational impact and work related improvements; have a desire to develop their leadership skills and behaviours to make an impact on their organisation and personal goals; and would like to achieve a certified qualification.
Some of our previous and current students have various backgrounds and roles including: Finance Manager, Operations Manager, HR Manager, Senior Project Manager, Director, Managing Director and Partner.
Our courses are accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) and you can build on your own development by selecting the individual units that support your needs.
ILM Level 7
Operations or Departmental Manager Level 5
An Operations or departmental manager is someone who manages teams and/or projects, and achieving operational or departmental goals and objectives, as part of the delivery of the organisations strategy. They are accountable to a more senior manager or business owner. Working in the private, public or third sector and in all sizes of organisation, specific responsibilities and job titles will vary, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed will be the same.
Key responsibilities may include creating and delivering operational plans, managing projects, leading and managing teams, managing change, financial and resource management, talent management, coaching and mentoring.
Typical job titles: Operations manager, Regional manager, Divisional manager, Department manager and Specialist managers.
Duration: Typically this apprenticeship will take 2.5 years.
Qualifications: Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment.
Link to Professional Registration: On completion, apprentices can register as full members with the Chartered management institute and/or the Institute of leadership and management, and those with 3 years’ of management experience can apply for Chartered manager status through the CMI.
Entry requirements
The entry requirement for this apprenticeship will be decided by each employer, but may typically be five GCSEs at Grade C or higher.
Level 5 Qualification
Improvement Specialist Level 5
Improvement Specialists are responsible for leading the deployment of improvement strategy, for training others and for providing broad and deep technical expertise in advanced and complex Lean and Six Sigma, Project and Change Management principles and tools to enable identification and delivery of improvement opportunities aligned to key business goals.
Improvement Specialists typically report to Improvement Leaders who develop the improvement strategy and governance processes, and who provide technical guidance on advanced analysis. Improvement Specialists manage (directly and/or matrix) Improvement Practitioners who lead smaller improvement projects aligned to the improvement strategy. A typical ratio of Improvement Specialists to Improvement Practitioners in an organisation could be 1:10. In comparison with the work of an Improvement Practitioner, Improvement Specialists draw on their advanced knowledge and skills in applying Improvement principles and tools across a range of programmes/ projects/areas to build the capability of others. They also swiftly visualise processes, problems and opportunities and use both graphical and statistical analysis to deliver improvements.
They work closely with other Improvement Specialists to support the delivery of improvement strategy, working on multiple simultaneous projects linked to key business objectives, identifying and engaging both subject matter experts and key stakeholders.
Typical job titles: Including, but not limited to: Business Improvement Practitioner, Continuous Improvement Manager, Process Excellence Manager, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Quality Control Senior Analyst.
Duration: Typically 14-18 months.
Qualifications: Either before or during the apprenticeship, apprentices will be required to achieve level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics prior to taking the end point assessment.
Entry requirements: Individual employers will set their own entry requirements.
Level 5 Qualification
Improvement Practitioner Level 4
Improvement Practitioners use a blend of Lean and Six Sigma, project and change management principles and tools to identify and lead the delivery of change across organisational functions and processes. Improvement Practitioners can be found across all sectors and functions including automotive, banking, engineering, food products, IT, property, retail, telecoms etc.
Typically, Practitioners lead smaller projects and/or play a key supporting role in a larger programme – tackling issues that may require swift problem solving, or re-occurring challenges that require in-depth analysis and the implementation of a range of effective and sustainable countermeasures. They are the focal point for all stakeholders and responsible for communication throughout a project. Typical activities include:
- Identifying potential opportunities, diagnosing issues, proposing solutions and implementing changes and controls
- Coaching teams and sharing best practice
- When leading projects they may manage small teams ensuring motivation and momentum, and be responsible for the successful
Typical job titles: Including, but not limited to: Business Improvement Practitioner, Continuous Improvement Manager, Process Excellence Manager, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Quality Control Senior Analyst.
Duration: Typically 14-18 months.
Qualifications: Either before or during the apprenticeship, apprentices will be required to achieve level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics prior to taking the end point assessment.
Entry requirements: Individual employers will set their own entry requirements.
Level 4 Qualification
Supply Chain Practitioner (FMCG) Level 3
Supply Chain is at the heart of every business – it is a system of organisations, people, activities, information and resources involved in moving products or services from supplier to customer. It may include the transformation of natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product.
Effective and dynamic supply chains are particularly important in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sectors, for example food & drink, retail or consumables, where products have one or more of the following characteristics: high volume, fast turnover and frequently purchased. FMCG have a short shelf life, either as a result of high consumer demand or because the product deteriorates rapidly. In contrast, durable goods or major appliances such as kitchen appliances are generally replaced over a period of several years. Supply chain functions include procurement, forecasting, planning manufacture, customer service and logistics.
They have a comprehensive understanding of the entire supply chain, are responsible for their impact on each function and strive to deliver the best value for their business and customer. Due to the high number of interactions both within and outside of the business, they need strong relationship building, influencing, stakeholder management and communication skills alongside sound analytical, information technology and numeracy skills, with an ability to work in a fast paced environment with frequently changing requirements.
Duration: Typical duration 30 months for new entrants.
Entry requirements: Employers will set their own criteria, but typically an entrant to this apprenticeship will already have achieved a minimum of Level 2 in English and maths. Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the end-point assessment for this apprenticeship.